Six-run fifth sends Cards past Brewers

The Cardinals traveled to Miller Park on Friday to start a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers, and Lance Lynn proved very effective as St. Louis cruised to a 6-0 shutout. Michael Wacha won his team-leading 13th game, stopping Cincinnati 3-0 on Thursday. The 26-year-old acquitted himself well but was saddled with a hard-luck loss after yielding one run on four hits over seven innings.

Carpenter’s home run in the first gave him five consecutive games with an extra-base hit, increasing his post All-Star total to 15, best in the NL. The Cardinals had three doubles, a walk and a single in the inning before Grichuk hit his 14th homer.

“I thought he was really good the first four innings”, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Cravy. Lynn didn’t work a clean frame all night and allowed multiple runners to reach in four of his six innings of work. “There were just some pitches in the middle of the plate and they took good swings on them”.

Garcia walked the first batter in the second and fourth innings, but Brewers couldn’t capitalize on either of them. Lynn then got second baseman Scooter Gennett to pop out to third base on a 3-1 pitch to end the inning.

General Manager Doug Melvin and the organization marketed Lohse before the Trade Deadline, but it was rumored that Melvin was expecting too much in return for the many names he had on the trade block.

After striking out left fielder Khris Davis to strand two in the first, Lynn worked out of a jam again in the second. He had debuted in the majors with the Rockies in September 2011 and played his first game with Milwaukee last Sept. 2.

-Prior to the game today, the Cardinals recalled Tyler Lyons from Triple-A Memphis and recalled Greg Garcia. “We have some guys that are beat up”, Matheny said. He is 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA in six starts for the Cardinals this year, but will pitch out of the bullpen this time.

Cardinals: St. Louis has been shut out in four of Saturday starter Jaime Garcia’s nine starts, but the left-hander has fared well against Milwaukee. The Brewers counter with Wily Peralta, who is 2-6 with a 4.55 earned run average. It was his third start since returning from the 15-day disabled list on July 28 with a strained left oblique.